Integrity Matters Broadcasts
April 30, 2009
And, yet another friend has passed along some wisdom—about integrity.
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together, saying, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”
The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man named Bob was there that day, and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost, and he planted the seed. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the
other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Bob kept checking his seed but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Bob didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by -- still nothing in Bob's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Bob didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He
just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by, and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Bob told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Bob felt sick to his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.
He took his empty pot to the boardroom. When Bob arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Bob put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed; a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Bob just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one
of you will be appointed my successor!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Bob at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Bob was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I'm a
failure! Maybe he will have me fired!” When Bob got to the front, the CEO asked him what had
happened to his seed, and Bob told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Bob. He looked at Bob and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Bob!”Bob couldn't believe
it. Bob couldn't even grow his seed. ''How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.
Then the CEO offered an explanation, “One year ago today I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Bob, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed
for the one I gave you. Bob was the only one with the courage and honesty [read INTEGRITY] to bring me a pot with my seed in it; therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”
Wisdom comes in profound parables. Perhaps you will share this INTEGRITY-CENTERED SUCCESS STORY with others
Integrity Matters maybe now more than ever! Our book, Integrity Matters, has not yet made it to the top of any list, but who knows, it still might!
Jim
James F. Bracher
Founder
Dimension Five Consultants, Inc.
Bracher Center for Integrity in Leadership
P.O. Box 22467
Carmel, California 93922
www.brachercenter.com
And at:
James F. (Jim) Bracher, Director
Executives in Residence
University Corporation at Monterey Bay
California State University Monterey Bay
100 Campus Center,
Building 201 - Suite 101
Seaside, California 93955
Phone: (831) 582-5015
Phone: direct: (831) 582-5038
(831) 582-5019 Fax
jfb2c@brachercenter.com
